Baltimore’s tragic bridge collapse is a test for American leadership

The nation awoke Tuesday to images of a ghastly tragedy: Baltimore’s iconic Francis Scott Key Bridge had collapsed after a giant cargo ship lost power — and control — and slammed into one of the bridge’s key support columns. Several vehicles and eight construction workers were on the bridge, and rescue crews raced to save them from the cold water of early spring. As Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott (D) said: “A bridge can be rebuilt, but our focus is on those people.”

At a time when the nation seems ever more divided and the country’s political institutions are mired in disagreement and indecision, this tragedy can’t get caught up in partisan sniping. It’s a time to put aside differences, to rebuild and to tap what is still the United States’ greatest strength: its deep reservoir of native optimism.